Dean Smith had his doubters at the start of the season with many questioning whether he could cope with a full season in the Championship.
Having taken charge in November last year, he oversaw a decent start before suffering a difficult February and March before ending the season well.
This season has seen some excellent displays such as against Brighton and QPR but also with some below-par ones, such as against Newcastle and Barnsley.
He worked the transfer market well in the summer as Brentford went back to doing what they do best – signing the best talent from the lower divisions with the likes of John Egan, Dan Bentley, Romaine Sawyers and Rico Henry coming through the door at Griffin Park while supplementing the squad with young talent from the Premier League like Sullay Kaikai and Callum Elder.
The Bees are much more defensively solid this season compared to the last two campaigns with captain Harlee Dean and Egan forming an excellent partnership in defence.
With Scott Hogan fit and firing, Brentford also now have a threat up front that they lacked at times last term.
Smith's tactics are straightforward and the Bees set up in a consistent shape each week and, while he could be more proactive with his substitutions at times, the former Walsall manager has proven himself more than capable of guiding the club to a top half finish.
